Valentine's Bouquet
by jibbsloversunited
Summary: Jibbsfest with a Valentine's twist.
1. Welcome

Welcome to Jibbsfest! And welcome to a few new authors. The prompts this time were:

- A flower (not a rose or orchid)  
- A child (even mentioning in passing; could be a Jibblet, Zach, Carson, etc.)  
- Sunshine  
- And either Valentine's Day or a girls' night out.

If anyone is interested in participating in a future round, feel free to introduce yourself on the forum (Forums – TV Shows – NCIS – Jenny&Gibbs – Jibbsfest) or PM me (MissJayne).


	2. This, That and the Other tayababy

**Title**: This, That and the Other

**Author: **tayababy

**Rating: **K+

**Summary: **The morning, the afternoon, the night of, and the morning after Valentine's Day; This, That and the Other.

"Shhhh, Jay, you'll wake them up."

Jenny was lying in bed, half awake, when she heard the giggling outside their bedroom door. Her and Jethro's five year old twins, Jeremy and Jasper, were obviously trying to surprise their parents with something.

"Jethro," she nudged her husband. "Pretend to be asleep."

The man beside her sighed, and they rolled over to lie close together. They had learnt years ago it was the only way to protect their sensitive areas; Jasper, surprisingly, had excellent aim.

"What are they up to this time?" Jethro whispered into his wife's ear.

Jenny scoffed. "I love the way you said this time."

"Well, how many other things have they gotten into over the years?" he asked. "Remember the time they wanted pancakes and started making them themselves?"

"Or when Noemi needed a week off and they took it upon themselves to put the coffee machine on for us?"

The memories were ones that always made them laugh, and this time was no exception. They had to smother their faces with their pillows to keep from alerting the twins.

"Shhh, Jay!" Jasper hushed her brother again, and they tripped over something just to crash into a wooden wall panel. "Jay! You're gonna wake them up!"

Jeremy shook his head as he stood up and walked directly to their parents' bedroom door. "I'm going to go jump on dad's gonads," Jeremy deadpanned. "You're welcome to join me, unless you want to keep shooshing my butt, coz if you do, you can stay out here."

Jenny quickly closed her eyes as she heard the door fly open, slam against the wall, and felt her son jump up onto the bed and onto his father. Jasper could be heard from the hallway, protesting loudly as usual, before she too jumped onto the queen sized bed, landing heavily.

A swift kick to the groin for Jethro woke him up with an 'oomph' and a fair amount of pain; Jeremy always managed to hit his target square on. Jenny couldn't help but giggle at the outburst of pain that erupted from her husband, giving away her position to their children.

"Mommy!" Jasper exclaimed, immediately latching onto her like a leech. "You're awake!"

"Yeah, I am sweetie," Jenny smiled. "Your dad's awake too."

"I know, silly," Jasper giggled. "Jeremy kicked him in the gonads."

"I thought I told you guys not to do that," Jethro groaned, rolling over to place Jeremy and Jasper between their parents.

"But it's so much fun," Jeremy whined. "And you're so easy to get!"

Jethro sighed and shook his head. "Just because it's fun doesn't mean it's okay to do. What would you think if Jasper kicked you in the gonads?"

"Where did you even learn that word, anyway?" Jenny added.

The twins looked at each other and grinned. The look said it all.

DiNozzo.

* * *

The day passed with little to no dramas, a minor miracle for the Gibbs family, so when Jenny and Jethro walked into the park with the kids that afternoon for their usual post-school/work fun, it was no surprise to them that the sun was still shining. Despite it being the tail end of winter, Mother Nature was obviously being kind to DC after the horrific snowstorms the city had been plagued with for months, and that made the afternoon even better.

"Daddy, can you puh-lease push me on the swing!" Jasper pleaded, pulling out her puppy dog eyes.

Jethro looked over to his wife, smiled and shrugged his shoulders. They both knew this was going to happen, and neither of them cared one bit. Their miracle children were the centre of their lives, despite the holiday they were unintentionally impeaching on. "Sure, baby. Let's go."

Jenny shook her head at her husband and daughter before looking to her son. Jeremy was tearing up the playground in his usual fashion, acting like he was on a sugar high with all the energy he was burning. She was glad that, even though they lived in a townhouse in a very built-up area of Georgetown, there was a park within walking distance where they could burn off their energy.

"Jen," Jethro walked over to where she was standing, having left Jasper to help Jeremy terrorise every other child on the playground. "What are you thinking?" he slipped his arms around her waist from behind, dropping his chin to her shoulder, so they could both supervise the children playing.

"Lots of things."

"Like…"

"Like, I'm glad we didn't hire a nanny and raised them ourselves, with Noemi's help of course."

Jethro chuckled. "Of course. Don't know what we would have done without her help."

Jenny smiled. "Do you think they're old enough to get a dog?"

Jethro turned to look at her. "Where did that come from?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. They have so much energy, I don't know where it comes from. I think, as long as the dog was trained properly and walked daily, it would be good for them."

"Good for them, or good for you maternal instincts," Jethro smirked.

"Ha ha, very funny," she rebuffed him, and returned her attention to the children happily playing.

They stood there in silence for a little longer, basking in the slowly setting sunshine, just enjoying each other's company while watching their children play.

"Hey Jen," Jethro said suddenly, breaking their comfortable silence.

"Mmm hmm."

"You know it Valentine's Day, right?"

She disentangled herself from his grip and turned around to face him. He was slightly concerned with the cheeky looking smirk turning up the corners of her mouth. "Oh, I'm aware. Why, did you forget?"

He scoffed and dropped his head. "No…."

"Oh, you did!" she exclaimed. It was fun having something new to tease him about.

"Ok, so maybe I did forget," he muttered sheepishly. "But that doesn't mean I don't love you!"

Jenny laughed at him. "Oh, you're so lucky I know you so well."

"Does this mean you made plans for us tonight?"

She smirked at him again. "Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you what they are."

Jethro shook his head and smiled. "I knew I loved you for a reason, Jen."

"And here I was thinking you just loved me for the perks."

He stood there, stunned, as she walked into the playground to grab the terrors they called their children. She just laughed, leaving him in her wake.

* * *

"Aunt Ziva!"

The Israeli woman looked up from her perch on the couch, where two year old AJ was playing on the floor in front of her, as Jeremy and Jasper ran into the living room, traipsing leftover snow from the walk home all over the hardwood floor.

"Jeremy! Jasper! You had better not be stomping snow all over my nice clean floors!" Noemi scolded from the kitchen.

The five year olds abruptly stopped and performed an almost-perfect about face, their father had trained them well, and returned to the front door to remove their outer garments.

"Why are you here, Ziva?" Gibbs asked, pleasantly surprised to see the mother of his godson. "Do you and Tony not have plans tonight?"

Ziva sighed. "Tony is stuck in MTAC overseeing some threat the Navy SEALs are dealing with, so when Jenny asked me to babysit the twins tonight, I agreed."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jethro could see Jenny smirking again. "So, this is all part of your grand plan for tonight then?"

She smiled and nodded. "You and I are going out for a nice, private dinner on the town."

Jethro waggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh. 'Since when did we ever do anything quietly?"

* * *

Unsurprisingly, the restaurant was full when they arrived, but they were seated almost immediately at a private table close to the kitchen. While they were left with menus, the restaurant's head chef came to their table instead of the waitstaff when it came time to order.

"Ah, Jennifer, how are you mon cherie?" the Frenchman exclaimed.

Jenny rose to hug him, a genuine smile gracing her features. "Hello, Monsieur deNeuf! How are you?"

"Well, very well," she smiled. "What do you recommend for my husband and I tonight?"

The head chef smiled knowingly. "No need to order, Jennifer, I will provide you and your husband with a wonderful meal, complete with wine and dessert."

"You are too kind," Jenny smiled. "It was nice to see you again, Monsieur."

The chef smiled. "It was my pleasure, Jennifer, and wonderful to see you again. Enjoy your night with your husband," he left with a smile and re-entered the kitchen. A waitress returned moments later with entrees and wine.

Jenny smiled at her husband over the centrepiece of white and soft pink lilies. "Are you surprised?"

Jethro smiled back at her. "Pleasantly so; I didn't know you knew such a prestigious chef."

"I know a lot of people in a lot of places, and I still have a lot of favours owed that may come in handy one day."

"I have connections too," he smirked back at her. "Wine?"

* * *

Ziva sighed as ten o'clock approached. The twins were asleep in their rooms, AJ was asleep on the couch, and there was nothing to watch on TV, as she had been well and truly corrupted by her husband and his habits.

She looked at the time on her phone yet again and wondered where the parents of her charges were.

Time almost stood still, and she was contemplating calling Abby for something to occupy her mind, when she heard their familiar bickering outside the front door.

"Have a good night?" she asked them as soon as they opened it. They were unsurprised at her appearing out of nowhere, as she had been doing it for years; her Mossad training had taken care of that.

"It was wonderful," Jenny smiled peacefully. "Dinner was magnificent, the wine perfectly matched, and the company wasn't too shabby either.'

Jethro feigned hurt at the comment, and Jenny laughed. "Oh, give it up, Jethro; you know there's no one else I'd rather be with."

"My, you two are very pleasantly buzzed, aren't you?" Ziva asked, chuckling at the normally reserved couple's uninhibited behaviour. At their unsynchronised nods, she added, "Would you like me to stay the night, to ensure the twins are safely dispatched to the kindergarten in the morning?"

"No, that's not necessary, Miss Ziva," Noemi announced quietly from the kitchen. "I can make sure all four of them arrive on time to their destinations."

"You can deal with their hangovers and the twins at the same time?" Ziva asked. The housekeeper nodded. "Well, you are more talented than I thought."

"Anything to keep my family out of trouble," she replied with a tip of the head. "Now, Senor Gibbs, Senora Gibbs, I believe it is time for bed."

Ziva recognised the dismissal from the housekeeper instantly, and returned to the living room to collect her sleeping son before leaving.

"Ziva!" Jenny called from the stairs, laughing a little too much for the late hour. Ziva turned to her former bosses, now her family, and smiled slightly. "Thanks for looking after the twins! Have a good Valentine's night!"

Ziva shook her head as she wrapped herself and AJ up in coats to shield them from the cold weather outside. "Not likely."

As the door closed behind her, she heard a familiar shriek from Jenny, presumably as Jethro threw her over his shoulder as they were pushed upstairs. She shook her head; too much wine, and they were reduced to teenagers on their first date. She was glad the children were solid sleepers; Noemi did not deserve two sets of overtired, moody charges in the morning.

* * *

The morning came way too quickly in Jenny's opinion. Unlike the previous day, the sky was covered in dark, ominous-looking clouds, threatening yet another snowstorm DiNozzo was likely to name Snowageddon, Snowpocalypse, or something along those lines. It was not the type of weather she appreciated, hangover or no hangover.

Next to her, Jethro rolled over with a heavy groan. "What time is it?" he mumbled, throwing an arm over his eyes.

Jenny looked at her phone on the bedside table and let out a groan of her own. "It's half past eight."

"Where are the kids?"

"I hope Noemi took them to kindergarten, or we'll have to deal with them and their bad moods all day. How bad is your headache?"

"I could go for one of Ducky's remedies right now," he groaned.

"So, that bad?"

They were disturbed by a quiet tapping of the door, moments before Noemi poked her head in. "Good morning, Senor Gibbs, Senora Gibbs. The children are waiting for you downstairs."

Jenny sat up abruptly, making sure to hold the sheet over her naked chest. "Why are they downstairs and not at kindergarten like they should be?"

Noemi sighed. "Miss Jasper was complaining of a headache, Master Jeremy a stomach ache, and both were complaining of a headache. They gave very convincing performances, Senora," she reported apologetically.

Jenny sighed and fell back into the pillows. "Great. Just great. So much for 'we love school!' Little terrors."

Jethro sniggered quietly, trying not to aggravate his own headache too much. "Happy Valentine's Day, Jen."

"Jethro, that was yesterday, hence the night out and subsequent hangover."

"Your point, Jen?"

Jenny simply groaned again. "I'm never drinking alcohol again!"


	3. Brashness and Buttercups JibbsGal1

**Title: **Brashness and Buttercups

**Author: **JibbsGal1

**Rating: **K+

This takes place right after "Lost & Found's" case closed.

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been in a foul mood all morning. He was pleased that the case involving Carson was over and that things had worked out, but he couldn't get Jenny's offer to stay the night out of his head.

"You know, Boss," suggested Tony, "maybe you should get some more coffee." Tony immediately regretted the suggestion when he heard Gibbs grunt.

"Why's that, DiNozzo?"

"Well, you seem…a little tense." Gibbs looked down in his drawer, allowing Tony to glance at Ziva and McGee, who both looked at him like he was nuts. Tony rolled his eyes, knowing someone needed to get rid of him in order for them to get some peace.

Gibbs looked up from rummaging in his drawer for his gun and badge. "Fine. I'm going for coffee. Not bringing any back for anyone."

"Didn't want any, Boss, so you know…that works." Tony fell back into his chair as Gibbs barreled past him towards the elevator. He headed to the coffee cart outside of their building, reached for his phone and dialed.

Jenny Shepard was in her office. She was looking through a file but was distracted by thoughts of one Special Agent Gibbs. Did she really ask him to stay? Did he really say no? What was she thinking? Jenny looked down when she heard her cell phone ringing. _Speak of the devil._

"Special Agent Gibbs. To what do I -"

"It's not Special Agent Gibbs. If it was, I'd have called your office phone."

Jenny looked at the phone quizzically. "So….who am I speaking with then?" she teased.

He smiled. He knew she was enjoying it. "Jethro. Calling Jenny. Meet me for coffee outside."

Her brow furrowed. "Is that a question? Because it sounded like an order and I'd hate to remind you that I outrank you."

He snorted. "Jenny doesn't outrank Jethro. We're even. Remember who you're talking with right now."

She could help but laugh. "Fine." She hated giving in so easily, but she couldn't help it. She was intrigued.

Jenny made her way out of the building. After looking around a bit, she spotted him sitting on the side wall, with two cups of coffee, looking at something he was holding in his hand. It always amazed her how handsome he could look in just a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt under a black button-down shirt and his brown jacket. Other men seemed to try so hard to be sexy but he….he just was. She wished she didn't find him so damn attractive but then again, she always had.

Gibbs looked over and saw Jenny. She was wearing a navy pant suit with a light blue silk blouse, her usual heels and dark sunglasses. He always found her confidence sexy and today wasn't different. He saw her notice him and smile. Then her mask came over her face when she realized he saw her too. This wasn't going to be easy. She sat down next to him without a word. He handed her coffee.

He was crazy if he thought she'd speak first, thought Jenny. He was the one who called her down. And she was nervous about what he had to say. Was he going to embarrass her, now that he knew she still wanted him? As if reading her thoughts, he finally spoke.

"Mind if I get to the point?" he asked.

"I wish you would, Jethro. I have a couple… hundred things on my plate right now."

Great. She was not going to make this easy. He turned to look at her, but she kept staring straight ahead, glancing over the rim of her coffee cup at everything but him. He really wanted to see her eyes when he spoke to her, to try to read her thoughts.

"The other night."

Oh crap, he was going there. Jenny tried to brace herself.

"When you asked me to stay, what… what exactly did you want?" he asked, looking a little nervous. She was a bit flabbergasted by his question.

"What do you think? For you to play games with me and Carson?" Jenny put her glasses up on her head, leaned in close, looked him in the eye and whispered to him, "I wanted you to take me upstairs… to my bedroom… where we could have mind-blowing sex."

Unfortunately he had taken a swig of his coffee at exactly the wrong time and started coughing on it. She smiled, pleased she had caught the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs by surprise. He shifted a bit, looking uncomfortable and shot her his famous glare.

"Oh please, Jethro. Don't even try that with me. You know better."

Frustrated he tried again. "Jen, what I meant was… did you just need an itch scratched or…"

She studied his face. This really seemed to be bothering him. She turned her body to face him, her demeanor softening. She said quietly, "Does it matter? Because it sure didn't seem to when I asked. You were pretty cold to me, Jethro. You can't expect me to just lay my heart out there for you to stomp on it again." When he just looked at her, saying nothing, she prodded, "What do you want from me?"

He looked down, unwilling to look at her as he tried to find the right words. "I might've been wrong to leave."

Her heart started beating faster than it had in a long time. He saw her hand shaking, so he took the coffee from her and set it down on his other side. Gibbs finally looked into Jenny's eyes and saw something that hadn't been there in a long time. She was letting her guard down. It gave him the courage to continue.

He remembered what he had in his hand and presented it to her. She looked down and saw what he had been hiding. She smiled, trying not to laugh. "You got me a buttercup? You do know it's a weed, right?"

"Ah, but it's a magic weed." He moved to put it under her chin. "Did you know if you hold it under someone's chin…"

She raised an eyebrow and said incredulously, "You're trying to see if I like butter?"

"Don't interrupt," he feigned annoyance. He leaned in close to her ear, whispering, "Did you know if you hold it under someone's chin, you can tell if they're going to have sex that night?"

She burst out laughing, her eyes lighting up. "So what's the buttercup's verdict?"

It was the first time she'd seen him look anything but crabby in ages. He simply nodded his head, with a mischievous glint in his eye. It made her laugh even harder.

She looked so beautiful when she laughed, he thought, with the sunshine hitting her face just right, making her fair skin practically glow. It took his breath away. Suddenly there was a shadow over her face. She raised her eyes to the source and he saw a look of surprise on her face.

"Well, I'm not sure if I should be surprised by this or… not," said a familiar voice.

Jenny and Jethro shared a look of shock.

"You two look like you've been caught with your hands in the cookie jar," Hollis Mann said with a smirk.

Jenny tried to compose herself. "I thought you were on your way to Hawaii."

Jethro whipped his head around to Jenny. _What was she talking about? _

As if reading his face, Jenny deadpanned, "Someone obviously doesn't read _Stars and Stripes_."

Jenny stood up and put out her hand. Col. Mann shook it, smiling. "I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning but I was hoping I could get a meeting with you, Director, first."

Jethro had never felt more invisible or more uncomfortable… well, probably since the last time Jenny and Hollis, and Stephanie for that matter, were in the same room.

Jenny laughed. "This isn't much notice. Unfortunately, I'm in meetings for the rest of the day." She glanced at her watch and then shot a glare at Jethro. "I'm actually late for the next one." Jenny noticed the woman's distress and quickly offered, "But how about going out for a drink around, say… 8:30 tonight? Girls night out?"

Jethro, who was entertaining other thoughts for the evening, shot Jenny another glare. She ignored it and looked to Hollis.

"Thank you. I appreciate you're making the time."

Jenny then said, "Meet me at the bar in Palena. Hopefully it won't be too crowded yet and we can talk, drink and have a bite to eat. Have you been before?" Hollis shook her head. Jenny continued, despite the helpless look on Jethro's face. "You'll love it. It's across from the Cleveland Park Metro stop. It's very elegant, just so you know."

"I think I can handle that." Both women smiled, turned in opposite directions and left.

"What the hell just happened?" Jethro growled.

* * *

Jenny had changed into a simple pale green, sleek skirt with a healthy slit down the side, matching strappy heels and her top was off-white silk, showing a hint of cleavage. Her detail waited by the door. Palena, the local haunt of many politicos, was used to high-ranking officials. She walked in, surveyed the front room which had a more laid back feel to it than the elegant dining room towards the back. Jenny looked over the crowd and spotted Hollis nursing a drink, sitting at the bar, with her purse in the seat next to her.

"Beautiful dress, Hollis. And I love your hair down like that. You clean up nicely," shared Jenny.

"As do you, Director. And call me Holly."

The redhead smiled. "Outside of NCIS, I'm Jenny." She noticed a glass of bourbon waiting for her and downed it in one shot. She nodded to the bartender to pour her another. "You remembered. You may be the best date I've had in ages." Holly laughed. As Jenny took her seat at the bar and reached for her second glass, she asked, "I take it you never did develop the taste for it?" noting the glass of wine in her hand.

Holly smiled demurely. "I suppose I wasn't around him long enough." Then in an almost sing-song way she added, "Unlike you, apparently."

Jenny looked at her. "Wow, skipping the foreplay, are we?"

Holly prodded, "You two looked pretty cozy."

Jenny tried to read the other woman's thoughts but, not finding the answers, decided to ask. "I'm not wrong am I? You two were together…at some point, weren't you? Do you want him back?"

Holly's eyes went wide. "Oh dear God, no." she laughed. "He's all yours, trust me. I've met someone else. It's been a whirlwind. He's kind of why I wanted to see you. You intimated that there could be a place for me at NCIS."

Jenny smiled. "I did, didn't I? But what happened to Hawaii? Is he worth giving up Paradise?"

Holly practically glowed. "The house can be rented out. I want to be with him and unfortunately, he's tied to being in the D.C. area for the next few years. So I was thinking…"

"I understand perfectly. And you feel that you can work in the same building with our mutual friend?" Holly nodded. "Good. You'd be an excellent addition. Let me see what I can do, where you might fit. How long will you be in Hawaii?"

"Until I'm able to tie up my loose ends. I will keep in touch though," Holly smiled. "So, now that I might be working for you, am I not able to ask if you and Jethro are … involved?"

"You can ask. I'm not sure I will tell." Jenny took another sip of her drink. She realized she needed to talk, and while this might not be appropriate, she didn't really have anyone else. "Oh hell, I'm not sure what's going on to be honest," answered Jenny. "But if you want more details, you're going to have to get me far more liquored up than I am right now."

Holly immediately motioned to the bartender to get Jenny another drink, making both women laugh.

"I got the impression that you two shared a past. Your comments to me always seemed… well informed," Holly noted, but Jenny remained mum. "Well, if you have experience with him, maybe you do stand a chance." She saw Jenny's inquisitive look. "It's really not my place."

"Oh, Holly…_now_ you want to pay attention to protocol?" laughed Jenny.

Holly swallowed hard before treading carefully. "To be honest, I got the impression he's not ready to let go of Shannon."

Jenny hesitated…but then nodded knowingly. This was definitely something weighing on her mind.

Suddenly, a plate of cookies along with the pastry chef's renowned caramels, each donning a gold leaf, was placed in front of the two women. Jenny swooned, turning to the waiter, "Please thank Ann for sending these up." Turning back to Holly she said, "You will die. These caramels are amazing."

Holly tried one. "Oh my God, if I could marry one of these, I would." Jenny, looking pleased, nodded her agreement. Suddenly, the pastry chef herself was at Jenny's side. The two women kissed as old friends do.

"Ann, you've outdone yourself again and I have a new convert for you. This is Colonel Hollis Mann." Ann shook the younger woman's hand gratefully and turned back to Jenny, who asked, "So how are you?"

Ann sighed, looking around, "You know, I'm tired." Jenny nodded, knowingly. "But I wanted to tell you - don't look - but as I was coming over here, I passed a man staring very intently at you both. Now normally I wouldn't think anything of it, but you know I look out for you, Jenny."

Jenny, not sure whether to be annoyed or amused, looked at Holly and rolled her eyes. "You don't think…"

Holly tried not to laugh but it wasn't really working. "Of course; it has to be." Turning to Ann she said, "Did he look really grumpy?"

"Does he have salt and pepper hair?" added Jenny. Then they both said at the same time, "Really good looking?"

All three women laughed. Ann said, "Yes to all of the above. OK, I'm going to leave you ladies to your fun."

Jenny kissed her friend goodbye and turned her attention back to her bourbon. Suddenly, Jenny tapped Holly on the arm and said loudly, "He said THAT to you?" She then threw her head back laughing.

Holly just shook her head. "You want to drive him crazy, don't you?"

Jenny smirked. "You bet I do. I can't believe he'd follow us. Is he that worried about us talking?"

"Maybe we should call Stephanie," Holly said conspiratorially, which made both women snicker.

* * *

The laughing coming from the women was driving Gibbs crazy. He still couldn't believe he was there, but the thought of Holly and Jenny having a girls' night out drove him a bit over the edge. He downed some more of the bourbon in front of him and rubbed his hand over his face. Maybe he should just walk over and surprise them. He was feeling like an idiot. But he was really hoping to catch Jenny as she was leaving and perhaps continue their conversation… and more.

Just then he saw her get up to leave. _Damn_. He didn't expect her to go so soon. He started to leave money on the table and get up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Slow down there, fella. Care to buy a gal a drink?" Holly sat down, looking awfully pleased with herself. Gibbs was antsy. He really wanted to go after Jenny. As if reading his mind, Holly added, "I have a message from her. Ah, I see now I have your attention."

"Well?" he asked gruffly.

Hollis raised one eyebrow. "You could at least ask me nicely." Gibbs merely glared and the blonde sighed. "Oh, fine. I won't torture you any further. She asked that you give her a 20-minute start. Meet her at her house." She then pushed a key over to him. "Let yourself in."

Gibbs glanced at his watch and smiled. He then looked up at her. "How've you been, Hol?"

"Great, actually. I met a man who can talk in complete sentences. You know how much that means to me." He chuckled a bit and nodded. "So this thing with Shepard…"

Gibbs looked up to see Holly smile and sighed.

She continued, "I always had a feeling there was something between you two."

He gave her a look. "Why?"

"When we were working the Sharif case she was the one who knew you were a bit off. She warned me that I should keep an eye on you and I blew her off. I told her you could take care of yourself. But somehow…" Hollis shrugged. "She knew."

He managed a smirk, "Interesting. But we were partners. Not a surprise."

Holly sighed, frustrated as always by his keeping things close to the vest. But not one to be deterred, she decided to continue. "So, do you think you're ready?"

"Ready?" He looked at her quizzically.

"Still monosyllabic, I see." She tapped one fingernail on the lacquered tabletop impatiently. "Listen, Jethro, I like you. I like Jenny, especially after spending time with her one-on-one. She's beautiful, she's sharp and she likes you. But she's going to want the whole package." She saw his irritation growing. "Yes, I know it's none of my business. But have you ever known me to not say what's on my mind?" She watched him take the last sip of his drink and shift around, uncomfortable. "Just be fair, Jethro. Don't make her pay because she's not Shannon. There, I've had my say. I'll leave you both alone to do… whatever it is you two do. Goodnight, Jethro."

He looked at her, exasperated. "Goodbye, Holly."

"Not for long," she smiled wickedly and then left the restaurant.

* * *

Gibbs walked up the steps to Jenny's home and used the key to let himself in. He then locked the door behind him. He heard music coming from the study and figured he should follow it to find her. He saw she had arranged a bunch of pillows on the floor, near the fireplace which was ablaze. Candles were arranged around the room as well. His breath caught as he saw her sitting there, dressed in the same outfit as earlier, only this time her shoes were off and she had an extra button undone. The way the fire lit her face, Gibbs had to smile.

"You look so beautiful, Jen." She looked over at him and motioned for him to come sit with her. She was facing the fire; he sat opposite so he could look at her. She handed him a glass she'd already poured for him and then grabbed her own.

"You thought spying on us at Palena was a good idea?" she asked, her one eyebrow lifted, teasing him.

"No, I was hoping to surprise you when you were done. I wanted to sweep you off your feet but you ladies apparently had other plans."

"I ruined your surprise. I would apologize if I didn't think you'd throw Rule #6 in my face," she demurred.

They both laughed lightly. "You seemed very deep in thought when I arrived," Gibbs shared.

"I was wondering… if this… if us… is this crazy? Are we out of our minds to be revisiting us? Or am I wrong - were you only considering this a booty call?"

He frowned and put his drink down. Gibbs reached for Jenny's drink and set it on the floor beside her. He put his finger on her chin and turned her face towards him, slowly stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Where is this coming from? We both know you're worth way more than that."

Jenny reached for his hand and kissed it, laying her cheek on it for a moment. Then she held his hand in both of hers. "I'm scared. I'm scared that I want this more than you do…

"Come here." Gibbs pulled her onto his lap and held her in his arms for a long time without saying anything. Jenny bit her lip, wondering if he was going to respond. Finally he said quietly, as he stroked her hair, "I'm scared too. You're the one known for running off." She pulled back and looked at him as he continued. "Do you have any idea what your leaving did to me?"

She stroked his face with her hand. She couldn't believe he was opening up like this. "Do you know you never asked me that before? I thought it would be the first thing out of your mouth when we met again my first day. Maybe I hoped you would say something."

"I'm asking now, Jen."

Jenny couldn't look Gibbs in the eye. She stayed on his lap but drew her knees up and rested her chin on them. She took a deep breath before she began. "My father was my whole world, Jethro. It was always the two of us against the world. When he…"she swallowed hard, "when it happened I mapped out my life then and there, planning on how exactly I'd get revenge for him." She then looked at Jethro. "You weren't in that plan. But you turned my world upside-down. I have never loved anyone like I loved you. But I knew you were holding back. And without more to hang onto, without something concrete…"

"It wasn't enough. You needed revenge against the Frog," Jethro sighed.

Jenny nodded, her eyes earnestly seeking his. "But that's finally over. That's why it's different for me now. That's why you don't have to worry about my running away. I'm finally free."

He was overwhelmed. All the questions he'd had, the way he'd beaten himself up about what had happened between them… he finally had the answers. They weren't pretty, but he understood.

She continued. "I'm grateful it worked out the way it did. Had I left with you, I don't think we'd have worked out back then. La Grenouille being free would always have… It would have nagged at me."

He nodded. She was right. She had to see it through to the end. He knew what that was like, having done it himself to get justice for Shannon and Kelly.

"What about you, Jethro?" Her question bringing him out of his own head and forcing him to focus back on the present.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his reflex to deflect any questions about his former life. But he knew exactly what she was getting at. _Shannon. _

"Are _you _free?"

He swallowed hard. He owed her his honesty, especially now when Jenny had just told him everything he'd ever wondered about why she'd left. She'd laid herself bare for him. He tried to draw strength from the love he saw in her eyes. But he was aware of the fear that lay there too. He looked down.

"I don't know that I will ever be as free as you need me to be." He didn't have to look at her to know her reaction. He could feel her whole body tense up. "But I can promise you that I do have enough room in my heart for both of you. It's up to you if that's enough."

Jenny knew that was a huge moment for him, sharing something like that. She also knew he was scared, because he wouldn't look at her. She cupped his face in her hands and tilted it up, forcing Gibbs to meet her eyes. "Part of you is worth more than all of any other man." She saw relief flood over him.

He was so grateful to her. In that moment, their entire relationship came flooding back to him. He hadn't allowed himself to go there for so long, and he remembered how accepting she was of him and how he hadn't felt anything like that since Shannon died. Jenny was as damaged as he was, but together they could heal each other.

He slid his fingers into her hair, bringing her face to his, kissing her softly at first. Jenny shifted in Gibbs' lap so she was straddling him, her legs wrapped around his waist. He hugged her small body tightly against him, deepening the kiss as her arms wrapped around him, her fingers in his hair, their passion growing.

Gibbs moved his lips to her neck, planting small kisses all over her pale skin. He paused before kissing her again, "When we talked today, did you know this would happen?"

She smiled. "Of course. Buttercups are never wrong."


	4. Icing Orchid Mrs Elizabeth Gibbs

**Title: **Icing Orchid

**Author: **Mrs Elizabeth Gibbs

**Rating: **K+

When Jenny Shepard woke up on the morning of February 14th, the first thing she noticed was the sunshine.

The bright rays of golden sun filtered in through the curtains, touching her face as she stretched, rolling from her side on to her back. Tilting her head, she smiled at the man still asleep next to her, rolling onto her left side so that she faced him. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep.

Before she could blink, she was pulled closer to him, her nose brushing his. He pecked her lips briefly before pulling away, his signature smirk on his face.

"You know I can't sleep when you stare at me Jen," he said, laughter in his deep voice.

She rolled her eyes, tangling her legs with him and drawing him closer.

"How long?" she asked, knowing he'd understand her meaning without further explanation.

"I give her three minutes," he replied, dipping his head to kiss the exposed hollow of her throat. She murmured in agreement, tilting her head back to give him access. His kisses were gentle, sweet, very much unlike him. She'd blame in on the fact that it was early.

Two minutes and fifty five seconds later, the sound of pattering feet sounded in the hallway, and their bedroom door was flung open by a giggling four year old. Said four year old sprinted across the room and jumped into her parent's bed, bouncing all the while as she continued to giggle.

"Wake up Mommy and Daddy!" Adrienne Marie giggled, bouncing on her dad's lap, her big green eyes filled with happiness. Gibbs caught her, bringing her between Jenny and himself, where they both tickled her relentlessly as she twisted and turned, her auburn curls brushing the pillows. "Stop, stop please!"

"I don't know Jethro, should we stop?" Jenny asked, a teasing glint her eyes as she flicked them between Gibbs and their daughter.

"Ah, Jen, let's give her a break," Gibbs said, withdrawing his fingers and kissing his daughter's forehead, brushing back her scattered curls. Adrienne giggled again, curling into her mom's side. Jenny wrapped an arm around her daughter, running her fingers through the silky curls.

"Good morning sweetheart," Jenny said, watching as Adrienne's eyes brightened, the green eyes becoming an emerald.

"Mommy, can we go sledding today?" Adrienne asked, putting her fingers together and tucking them under her chin, widening her eyes to puppy dog eyes.

"Hey, what makes you think that Mommy gets to decide?" Gibbs asked, folding his arms as he pretended to pout, laughing internally as Adrienne immediately came over to him, hugging him.

"Because Mommy's the boss, that's why Daddy!" Adrienne explained. Jenny struggled to muffle her laughter, turning her face into her pillow as Gibbs struggled to answer.

"Well Mommy's the boss at work, Aid," Gibbs said, watching as Jenny shook her head, quirking up an eyebrow.

"No, Mommy's the boss all the time," Adrienne said, shaking her head purposefully. "She said so."

"Oh?" Gibbs asked, raising an eyebrow at his lover, who rolled her eyes. "And who did she say that to?"

"To Uncle Fornell," Adrienne said, shrugging her shoulders. "When he brought Emily over to play."

"Really?" Gibbs asked, sending a pointed look to Jenny. "Well, then I guess Mommy will have to decide if we go sledding or not."

"I think it's a great idea Aid," Jenny said, smiling at her daughter. "It isn't supposed to be too cold, and the snow hill looked like it was all set for sledding."

"Can we go now Mommy?" Adrienne asked, missing her dad roll his eyes at her eagerness.

"How about we eat breakfast first Adrienne?" Jenny asked, ruffling her daughter's hair playfully.

"Well, okay. Daddy can you make pancakes?" Adrienne asked, turning to Gibbs and pouting out her lips, her big green eyes begging.

"Oh, you want me to do something now?" Gibbs asked, teasing his daughter.

"Well Mommy always burns the pancakes Daddy. You make them really good, and you add chocolate chips too!" Adrienne said, bouncing slightly on the bed.

"When does Daddy do that?" Jenny asked, looking pointedly at her lover, who suddenly took an interest in the bedspread.

"When you work in the big computer room," Adrienne answered, turning to look at her mom. "On the weekends. We sleep in sometimes, and he makes pancakes with chocolate chips in them!"

"Well aren't you a lucky little girl?" Jenny asked, tweaking her daughter's nose playfully. "Why don't you and Daddy go downstairs and start the pancakes? I'll be down in a little while."

"Okay Mommy," Adrienne said, sliding off the bed and tugging on her dad's hand. "Come on Daddy let's go! If we start them now, we can have them ready when Mommy comes downstairs!"

Gibbs rolled his eyes, looking over at Jenny before standing. He questioned her with his eyes, and she merely smiled, shaking her head.

"I'm fine, I promise," she said softly, watching as Adrienne bounded out of the room. "I just need a moment. Go follow her, or she'll break something."

"Yes ma'am," Gibbs mocked, saluting her. She rolled her eyes, slipping out of bed and heading into the bathroom, looking in the mirror and splashing some cold water on her face, drying it and brushing her teeth, removing the taste of sleep from her mouth.

She padded downstairs after pulling on Gibbs' old USMC hoodie, the one that completely swamped her. She walked into the kitchen, assaulted with the smell of fresh pancakes and melted chocolate.

"Mommy I picked out your pancake all by myself!" Adrienne proclaimed the second she saw her mom, running over to her and tugging at her pant leg. "Daddy made them and I got to pick out which ones were yours!"

"Then I'm sure they'll be delicious baby," Jenny said, kissing the top of her daughter's head. While she wasn't a big fan of chocolate early in the morning, she could deal with it for Adrienne. The four year old was truthfully the best thing Jenny had ever done, and she knew Gibbs couldn't agree more. Adrienne was their whole world.

"I didn't put too many chocolate chips in yours, Jen," Gibbs whispered in her hair when she poured herself a cup of coffee, one hand pressing lightly into her waist. She whispered her thanks in return, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before returning to the table, sitting next to her already syrup-covered daughter.

"Aid, you're already messy!" she said, wiping Adrienne's cheek as she rolled her eyes.

"They taste really good Mommy," Adrienne said, sticking a forkful of pancakes into her mouth, smearing chocolate on her lips.

"I'm sure they are," Jenny said, cutting up her pancakes into neat squares and then pouring a small amount of syrup on top of them. Spearing a few pieces on her fork, she munched on the sweet breakfast food as she watched her lover cook the rest, finally bringing over a plate and fixing himself some as well. Jenny merely rolled her eyes as Gibbs placed a few of the chocolate pancakes on his own plate. No one save herself and Adrienne knew about his sweet tooth.

"Mommy, Mommy can we please go sledding now?" Adrienne asked twenty minutes later, bouncing in her chair as she hit the table with her sticky palms. Jenny rolled her eyes, wiping her mouth with her napkin and setting her fork down on her now-empty plate.

"After you take a bath Adrienne," Jenny said, bringing their plates over to the sink and filling it with warm, soapy water, starting to wash them. Gibbs came up behind her, sliding his plate into the water and pressing a soft kiss to the back of her neck.

"I'll start the water for her," he said, watching her nod gratefully as she scrubbed the syrup off of Adrienne's plate.

"Thank you," she said, shooting him a smile as she set the plate in the drying rack. "I'll take over once I finish here."

Gibbs nodded before going over to Adrienne and scooping her up, swinging her up over his shoulder as she giggled and bringing her upstairs, her giggles filling the house.

Jenny liked that her house was filled with the laughs of her little girl now, instead of the silence that had once inhabited it.

She finished the dishes swiftly, drying her hands on a dish towel and then heading upstairs, hearing Adrienne's squeals and Jethro's rumbling laughter. Walking into the bathroom, she encountered a bubble-covered four year old, and an ex-Marine who was just a sudsy. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

"I thought Adrienne was getting the bath," she said, biting back a laugh. "I did not expect to find you covered in bubbles, Jethro."

"I didn't intend to get covered in bubbles, Jen," Gibbs replied, standing and wiping at the suds covering his torso. "Adrienne covered me."

"Mommy, Daddy looked like Santa!" Adrienne said happily, bringing a group of bubbles to her lips and blowing, scattering them everywhere.

"Aid, the point of a bath is to get clean, not cover Daddy in bubbles," Jenny told her daughter, taking the seat that Gibbs had just vacated. "You've got to hurry up, sweetheart, if you want to go sledding."

"Okay Mommy," Adrienne said, suddenly all business. "Can you help me with my hair?"

"Sure Aid," Jenny said, nodding. "Jethro, if you get ready now, then you can watch her while I get ready."

Gibbs merely nodded, leaving his daughter and lover giggling together in the bathroom as he searched for warm clothing. Twenty minutes later, a clean-smelling Adrienne came out, wrapped in a towel, while Gibbs pulled on his thick socks. While Gibbs took Adrienne to get dressed in her warm things, Jenny took the time to take a quick shower, getting dressed in old jeans and a thick long-sleeved shirt and sweatshirt.

Soon after that, they were on their way to the snow hill not far from the house, an old blue plastic sled in the back of the truck. Adrienne hummed along happily with the Disney cassette in the player, while Gibbs easily parked the truck and got Adrienne out, swinging her up onto his hip as he walked to the back of the truck.

Jenny pulled out the sled, following Gibbs and Adrienne up the hill, tugging the sled along by the white string. There weren't many people on the hill, only one other family. One father slid down with two small boys, their giggles filling the air as they slid to the bottom, where they ran off to tug at their mother's legs.

When they reached the top of the hill, Gibbs set Adrienne down, whose eyes were shining happily as she waited to sled down the hill. Jenny got in the sled first, pulling Adrienne into her lap, settling her comfortably before motioning for Gibbs to get in behind her. He slid in behind her, letting her rest comfortably against his chest. He pushed them off, gaining momentum as they slid down the hill.

Adrienne squealed happily as they moved, snuggling back into her mom's embrace as they reached the bottom. Gibbs held both of them securely, enjoying their happiness. It wasn't often they had the day to spend as a family, and he was just glad to be with his girls.

Stepping out, he helped Adrienne and Jenny up, touching Adrienne's cold, wind-reddened cheeks.

"Ready to go again Aid?" he asked, watching as his daughter grinned.

"Yes please Daddy!" Adrienne said, tugging on his hand as she started to climb the hill again. Jenny and Gibbs followed, slowly realizing that the hill was going to feel a lot bigger than it actually was by the time Adrienne was done sledding.

They continued to sled for the next hour, finally deciding the cold was too much, and the hill was too big for them to climb again. Adrienne was sated and happy, her green eyes a little sleepy looking as Gibbs strapped her into her car seat.

"Mommy?" Adrienne asked as Gibbs started the car, about to head home.

"Yes sweetheart?" Jenny asked, twisting in her seat to look at her daughter.

"Can we go to that place with the warm cookies we went to with Auntie Ziva?" Adrienne asked, a hopeful smile on her tiny face. Jenny internally caved, unable to say no.

"Sure, we can stop for a cookie Adrienne," Jenny said, watching as Gibbs turned towards the correct street, finding 'Insomnia Cookies' bakery easily. They all stepped out, Gibbs easily swinging Adrienne up onto his hip, the other hand resting on Jenny's lower back.

The bakery was warm, the air sugary and sweet. Lines of cookies sat on trays, waiting to be picked. Adrienne drew her face out of her dad's neck, eyes widening as she encountered all the cookies.

"Mommy, can I get the cookie that looked like Cookie Monster again?" Adrienne asked, twisting to look at her mom.

"If they have it Aid," Jenny said, spotting the cookie with a tiny sigh of relief. They walked up to the counter, and Jenny ordered the Cookie Monster cookie for Adrienne, which was brought to her, warm, on a napkin.

"Do you know what you want, Jethro?" Jenny asked, unsure as to what she wanted.

"Haven't decided yet," he said, shrugging as he watched his daughter devour her cookie. "I'll order your cookie, Jen."

Jenny raised an eyebrow, but didn't question him as he stood and walked over to the counter, taking quite a long time to order a simple cookie. He walked back with two cookies five minutes later, placing hers in front of her.

On a plain sugar cookie was an orchid, her favorite flower- the flower that symbolized love, strength, and beauty- drawn in pink icing. The detail was surprisingly intricate for frosting, and Jenny smiled, touched by the gesture.

"Happy Valentine's Day Jenny," Gibbs said, squeezing her hand across the counter. She flipped her hand over, intertwining their fingers.

"Happy Valentine's Day Jethro," she replied, squeezing his fingers.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Adrienne said, blue frosting covering her cheeks and fingers. Jenny and Gibbs laughed, shaking their heads.

They'd had the perfect Valentine's Day together.


	5. Introuvable Valentine TheBreakfastGenie

**Title: **Introuvable Valentine

**Author: **TheBreakfastGenie

**Rating: **K+

Disclaimer: NCIS does not belong to me.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs hated Valentine's Day. The last time he'd enjoyed the holiday he had been watching Shannon make cards for Kelly's second grade class. Kelly had loved the pink-and-red theme so her parents had gotten caught up in it too. They used to do things together as a family instead of only celebrating as a couple. Ever since he lost them Gibbs had tried to avoid the holiday. That hadn't been easy. He'd missed the first Valentine's Day of his second marriage, and his wife had been furious. It turned out she loved the romantic holiday. Gibbs hadn't been able to explain it to her, because that would have meant telling her she wasn't the first, telling her about his little girl, and he couldn't do that. Even if he'd been able to talk about it there was no way he could tell her when they'd been married for three months, she'd just be angry that he hadn't told her right away. Gibbs had managed to make it up to her by pretending he'd merely forgotten and giving her a fancy date and gift the next weekend. Nevertheless, he'd learned from that mistake. Diane had always expected something expensive, for Valentine's Day, her birthday, their anniversary. He'd done it for her quietly, pretending to enjoy it, when truthfully the mid-February holiday was one of the worst days of the year. Not that he could tell the difference back then. Stephanie had at least been better than Diane. She hadn't expected too much class, just acknowledgment. Gibbs still wasn't sure if that had been easier or harder. The Valentine's Day he'd spent with Jenny hadn't gone how he'd have liked. They were undercover at the time and spent the holiday in a series of firefights that almost ended in another St. Valentine's Day Massacre. They had both been wounded and spent the next weeks recovering for a new mission. They'd never had a chance to enjoy it. Even though she'd been his partner for over a year they only spent one February together. Then she was gone, just like the others.

Jenny Shepard pretended Valentine's Day didn't bother her. She put on an act of being annoyed that she usually had to work to do. In truth, she was relieved if some sort of national crisis kept her at the office late on February 14th. Then she could always claim it wasn't her fault she had an unromantic evening. Unromantic didn't always mean unexciting. She'd almost died on Valentine's Day once. This year, she was doing paperwork, hoping no one realized she was still there. A soft knock sounded on her door.

"Come in," she called forlornly, despairing of hiding her loneliness this time around. Jenny was relieved when she saw Ziva's head poke in the doorway.

"You're still here?" her friend reprimanded. Jenny sighed but didn't bother answering.

"I could say the same to you," she pointed out eventually.

"I work for Gibbs," Ziva defended.

"Gibbs works for me," Jenny shot back, trying not to think about him too much.

"You should be out, enjoying the holiday," Ziva attempted. Jenny's behavior always worried her.

"Valentine's Day was invented by the Hallmark company to sell more greeting cards," Jenny scoffed. "It's fine to leave work on time for a date but I have an entire agency to run. I can't just stop doing that." Sensing Jenny had a well-rehearsed story, Ziva decided to let it go.

"That's funny, I always thought jewelers invented Valentine's Day," she joked. Jenny cracked a small smile at that.

"Chauvinists," she muttered.

"Or just greedy enough to exploit other chauvinists," Ziva pointed out.

"Are you doing anything for tonight?" Jenny asked under the guise of curiosity. _That was classic Jenny,_ Ziva thought. _She'll take care of everyone but herself._

"Abby invited me to some sort of 'girls only' party for tonight. She claims it's supposed to be ironic because it's Valentine's Day," A look of confusion passed across the Israeli's face but quickly cleared. "Shalom, Jenny," she said softly. Jenny smiled at her young friend.

"Have fun, Ziva," Ziva left. Jenny sat, alone again, thinking about the evening she and Ziva had gone out to dinner last week.

_They had been sitting at a little round table, off to the side. The two women liked the restaurant because it was classy but not stuffy. Jenny had enough fancy meals at meetings and conferences. It was the middle of the main course, Ziva was eating her pasta but Jenny was barely picking at her Chicken Parmesan._

"_Something is wrong, Jenny," it was a statement, not a question. Ziva knew something was wrong, but she was probing gently._

"_You're fishing, Ziva," Jenny knew Ziva would break her eventually and she was just delaying the inevitable, but she really didn't want to talk about it. With anyone. And, through no fault of her own, Ziva was definitely not the best person to be talking to if she had to talk about it. Ziva's expression turned stern._

"_Jenny. Don't do this. You know what happens to you when you do this," Ziva was right, of course. Jenny let her emotions destroy her, rather than letting them out. She had spilled a lot to Ziva when she was exhausted and in pain when they were in Eastern Europe together. Jenny sighed._

"_Someone," she said simply._

"_By which you mean-" Jenny abruptly cut her off._

"_Don't! Don't say it, Ziva. Please don't say his name right now," something in Jenny's pleading eyes made Ziva stop._

"_You need to talk to him, Jenny. You need to tell him. He deserves at least to know. You deserve it."_

"_Now you sound like Ducky," Jenny scoffed._

"_Well if we're both saying it, maybe you should listen," Ziva countered. Jenny didn't answer. They left a few minutes later, without dessert. Jenny wasn't hungry._

"_Abby invited me to meet her at the bar tonight," Ziva remarked as she dropped Jenny off._

"_You should go," Jenny advised and disappeared into her house._

Gibbs turned on the one light in his basement. He'd just come back from the cemetery, where he'd left fifteen pink daisies on each Kelly and Shannon's graves, one for each year since he'd lost them. The flowers had only come in dozens, and now he had six left. He thought about the little girl his team had rescued the other day. She had been staying with her uncle when he was kidnapped for information. Children easily reached his heart, but Sasha had touched Jenny, too. Gibbs hadn't seen Jenny smile like that in ages. He thought about sending a flower to her family, but he'd have to get their address from work tomorrow. Tomorrow. When the torture of Valentine's festivities would finally be over.

Jenny looked around her office. She stood up and poured a sip of bourbon into a glass. She didn't even bother filling it all the way anymore. Jenny sipped her "drink" staring out the window. She poured herself another splatter of alcohol. Ziva's words still rang through her mind. _"You need to talk to him, Jenny. You need to tell him. He deserves at least to know. You deserve it." _And Ducky's words, the night she'd gotten drunk and gone down to Autopsy where he had come in to retrieve some forgotten report. _"You don't know how he'll react, Jenny. He might be accepting. You didn't see him all those years."_ The words only served to make her feel guiltier. She poured another miniature splash of bourbon into her glass. Dammit, Gibbs. He was the reason she drank bourbon. Hell, he was the reason she was drinking tonight.

Gibbs sat under his boat and stared, unable to take his eyes from the six daisies on the counter. He refused to think about the number six, but a conversation kept replaying itself in his mind against his will. Something had been hard that day, and he was seeking to hide in Autopsy. But his old friend had been questioning. _"You know, Jethro, it puzzles me. I've seen you after three divorces, some of them violent. I have witnessed the end of more of your relationships than I care to remember, and yet I've never seen you so heartbroken as you were when you lost Jenny."_

"_I didn't lose her, Duck. I let her go. She wanted to fly. It was her choice."_

"_You could have followed."_

"_She didn't want me to! Don't think I didn't consider it."_

"_You really loved her, Jethro."_

"_Jen was different."_

He had refused to say anything else and eventually just left. But something resonated that night. What Ducky said was true, and though Gibbs had always known it, he'd chosen to ignore it. Losing Jenny had hurt him more than losing Diane or Stephanie. When he'd said she was different, he really meant that. Jenny _was _different. Shannon had been calm. She had been the gentle, sunny personality needed to balance out his inflammatory yet icy one. His second and third wives had been neutral women. To keep him grounded, he thought. But they tried too hard. Jenny was fiery. She was hidden behind stone walls, like he was. She was almost too much like him. And yet completely different. She was a revolution. He was the opposite. And yet, somehow, they had crossed paths. But Jenny wasn't willing to change. She couldn't. It was part of what made her Jenny. And that was why she didn't stay. He would have followed her anywhere. But she didn't know that.

Jenny had lost track of the number of times she'd raised her glass to her lips, but it wasn't nearly enough, she could still think clearly. There was a time when she would have been slightly inebriated by now, but like so many other things, Gibbs' tolerance of alcohol had rubbed off on her. She was still staring out the window of her office, having long ago stopped looking at the clock. Her mind wandered briefly to Sasha, the six-year-old they'd located earlier. Her uncle had been killed while she was staying with him, and the killers never even knew she was there. She'd wandered away distraught, but eventually she had been found and reunited with her parents. Jenny had never been a "kid person," and definitely didn't have Jethro's expertise with children. But despite her exterior image's lack of emotion, her heart could be touched. She had desperately wanted Sasha to get home and grow up happy. The last thing the world needed was one more person with a life like Jenny's. She had sacrificed so much to be here, some of it against her will. Something about Sasha had just made her smile, especially watching her with Gibbs.

Rain began to fall lightly, increasing slowly in speed as it fell. What was it with rain? It had rained a lot during her first week in this position. The week she came back to DC. Back to him. She wondered if there was some sort of symbolic connection. As if that thought struck a nerve, she suddenly couldn't stand it anymore. No one could say if the bourbon she'd consumed had any effect, because no one witnessed what happened in Jenny Shepard's mind at that moment. Hours later, even Jenny would forget what had finally been the straw that broke the camel's back, but at the moment nothing seemed more important. She couldn't just wait and wonder anymore. She had to do something. Abruptly, Jenny left her office, without stopping to grab so much as her purse, though she did snatch up her coat on the way out. When she reached her car she faltered for a moment, recalling in a daze the drinks she had consumed. Reasoning that if she could still think coherently it was perfectly safe to drive, Jenny got in. The rain suddenly got harder, she hadn't realized it was coming down this fast. She pushed onward on the familiar route but she was beginning to get lost, she could barely see through the sheets of rain. Finally she pulled over and stepped out of her vehicle, squinting against the precipitation. Barely making out her surroundings, Jenny completed the small remaining leg of the trip on foot, pausing in his front yard. She stumbled onto the porch and collapsed, the rain on her face mingling with tears.

The mason jar he'd been drinking from emitted a clang as Gibbs set it down on the wood of his workbench. The noise echoed in his empty basement. Later, he'd never know what led him to do what he did next. He could vaguely recall a faint noise from outside, but since when had he cared what happened outside his house? On nights like that Valentine's Day he was dead to the world, and everyone knew better than to try and draw him out. Somehow he had known he needed to be on his front porch that night. It was probably those damn flowers. After all, there were six of them left, and he didn't believe in coincidences. As if in a trance Gibbs walked up his basement steps and through his house until he reached the front door.

Jenny stood up, soaked and shivering. She still hadn't come to her senses. Standing there on his porch, lightening cracking across the sky, she was so numb she couldn't tell if she was crying anymore. She knew the door was unlocked. But as if expecting to be invited first, she didn't reach out and open it.

Gibbs opened the door. What he saw took him completely by surprise, though he'd never be able to say he didn't expect it somehow, subconsciously. "Jen," he remarked, taking in her drenched appearance, her eyes red from crying. "Come on," he added, leading her into his house. She didn't say a word. The next thing Jenny was fully aware of was sitting in his basement, wrapped in a blanket, already half dry. Gibbs was staring at her. Finally he stood up, grabbed something brightly colored, and walked over. As he sat down next to her, he held out the object. It was a bundle of flowers. Daisies, it looked like. "Six of them," he said, reading her mind. "For every year we were apart,"

"You forgot two years," she remarked dryly.

"Doesn't count, Jen. You were here." Jenny knew why she'd wandered deliriously to this place tonight, and she knew what she had to do now that she was here. She accepted the flowers gently. Eventually she lowered her hand, still clutching the daisies, and leaned forward. Their lips met for a moment, then they pulled back.

"I came tonight..." Jenny started, "to tell you something. But I guess I just did."

"Do you really want to tell me, Jen?" he asked. He couldn't be sure she was thinking clearly. He didn't want her to say more than she meant. Jenny answered with a dry laugh.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"I don't know Jen, are you?" And then she was in his arms.

"You know," she whispered playfully, "in the morning I'm going to be your boss again,"

"Screw the morning," he answered, leaning to kiss her.

* * *

When she woke up in his bed a small ray of early sunshine hit her. She gazed at him silently until he too woke up and looked at her. "Jenny..." he began nervously, "do you remember anything about last night?" He had suspected she'd been a little drunk and he was worried that she would have forgotten her motivations when it wore off.

"You think I'd forget that easily?" she retorted. He didn't reply. "I'm still here," she reminded him, and he smiled a little. "I'd better call Cynthia, make up some excuse about an emergency international conference call. No one will ever check on it. One of the many advantages to being reliable," she said pointedly.

"Being notorious works too. After a while they just stop wondering," he pointed out. Jenny grinned. Reaching toward the small table for her blackberry, she smiled a little as her eyes fell upon six now slightly wilted pink daisies. Somehow they had still been in her hand when the two of them climbed the stairs the night before. Another day, he would explain them to her, and she would see the flowers he left each year on his wife and daughter's grave. Right now, all that mattered was that he had given them to her, as if to say, "_Welcome home_." His introuvable lover returned. Maybe they'd consider the irony of coming together on Valentine's Day, but they weren't the sort to dwell on it. It had happened, and that was enough.


	6. Twizzlers fredesrojo

**Title: **Twizzlers, also known as 'The Continuing Adventures of Logan Gibbs: in which Logan meets a lady , and learns the value of candy and kisses'

**Author: **fredesrojo

**Rating: **K+

Seven year old Logan Jasper Gibbs barreled out of the front doors of his school, green eyes squinting in the sunlight before searching the line of cars for his father's navy blue Charger. He hitched his Wolverine backpack further up on his shoulders and jogged over to the car, sliding into the backseat next to his little brother. "Hey, Dad. Hey, Max."

"Hey there, bub. Have a good day at school?"

"It was okay, I guess." He sighed, blowing all his breath out in a short huff. "Miss Olivia said we're givin' out Valentines on Friday."

Gibbs hid a smirk at the dejected look on his son's face, pulling out of the line of cars and accelerating away from the school. "Uh huh. What's so bad about that?"

"Dad! Valentines are for girls! Zach and Carson said that Valentine's Day is a lame holiday."

"Lame, huh?"

"It's all…_pink_." Logan made a disgusted face, shuddering in his seat. "And pink's a _girl_ color." He sighed, removing a well crumpled list from his pocket. "She gave us a list of everybody in the class an' said we have to trade on Friday. Do I have to?"

Gibbs took the list as they pulled up to a stoplight, flattening out the wrinkled paper on the steering wheel and squinting. "Well…it says here that it's also a candy trading party, Log."

"Candy?"

"Yep. Says right here, you can bring in a bag of your favorite candy to share."

"But I don't like sharin' candy."

"You share your candy with Max."

Max crowed and waved his hands around, hearing the mention of his name. "Candy! Candy!"

He sighed. "Yeah, Max, candy."

"But Dad, even if I do bring in candy, Valentines are all pink and girly and lame."

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his chin, thinking. "Ya know what, Log? I think I saw some Wolverine valentines in the grocery store the other day. Those aren't girly."

"There's Wolverine ones?"

"Well, yeah, they gotta have something for the guys. Everything can't be all _pink_ and _girly_."

Logan considered briefly, his face set in a mild frown. "Well…I guess I can take in some to trade. But only if we get the Wolverine ones."

"Deal."

* * *

One shopping venture to the grocery later, Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat at the kitchen table with Logan, holding a babbling Max in his lap.

Logan's tongue stuck out the side of his mouth in serious concentration as he painstakingly printed his classmates' names on the 'Wolverine and Friends' cards, in a blocky draftsman's scrawl similar to his father's. He passed the completed Valentines onto his brother to seal with a package of X-Men stickers, the customary heart stickers that came with all cards quickly discarded with a grimace from all three Gibbs men.

"Well, isn't this nice. Card assembling party, Jethro?" Jenny Shepard-Gibbs spoke up from the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against it with an amused smile.

"Nah, I'm just supervising." He wrestled a sealed card out of Max's hands, slipping it into a plastic bag with the other finished cards. "We're nearly done."

"Mmmhmm." Jenny walked over, kissing Max on the forehead and ruffling Logan's hair as she leaned in to kiss her husband hello, lowering her voice to a murmur. "Wolverine Valentines?"

"They're 'cool'." He smiled, raising his hands to make air quotes around cool. "And, not pink, which is always a plus in LJ's book."

"Uh huh." She grinned, shaking her head as she moved away, setting her briefcase on the counter. "I'm assuming this is takeout Tuesday, then seeing as you haven't started dinner?"

"I want Chinese." Logan hardly looked up from his writing, pushing another finished card towards his brother.

Gibbs grinned briefly, guiding Max through applying a Cyclops sticker to the card in the toddler's hands as he winked at Jenny. "Apparently so."

"Noodles, Mama!" Max twisted, blue eyes seeking out his mother under his father's raised arm.

"That's right, baby, noodles." Jenny moved over, lifting him out of Jethro's lap and kissing his nose. Max squealed happily, slapping a sticker on her forehead and pressing his lips to her cheek. "Sticker, Mama!"

"Uh huh, that's right, sticker. You decorating your mom there, Max-inator?" Gibbs stood from his chair, chuckling as he stretched. "I'll place the order, Jen. Your usual?"

"Do I ever order anything different?"

"Well, there was that time you ordered the crispy duck when you were pregnant with Max…"

Jenny rolled her eyes, whirling away with Max. "That was a one-time craving, Jethro."

"Right, right."

* * *

Logan gave the pink and red frilly hearts decorating the door of Abby's lab a slight grimace as he followed his dad into the forensic scientist's domain the next afternoon, his backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Whatcha got for me, Abs?"

"Gibbs! And Logan!" Abby spun away from her computer, a black shirt with a red skull surrounded by hearts screen-printed on the front. "I have an invitation to the first ever NCIS Valentine's Bash!"

"What's a bash, Dad?"

Gibbs took the vibrant invitation from the Goth, grinning. "Sort of like a party. Didn't you have something to ask Abby, Log?"

"Oh, right, yeah." Logan shifted, pulling a sheet of paper out of his bag. "Miss Olivia was helpin' us think of good Valentine's gifts for our moms and, uh…well, she said flowers were always a real nice gift, and I was hopin' you'd help me look for some on the computer. Dad said you're real good at that sorta stuff."

Abby smiled widely, bending down to lay a kiss on his cheek. "Logan, that's so cute, picking out flowers for your mom!"

"I'll leave you two to it, then." Gibbs chuckled quietly, turning to leave. "I'll be up at my desk if ya need me, Log."

"Yeah, okay, Dad." Logan was already ensconced in Abby's tall lab chair, listening interestedly as the Goth began lecturing on the different types of flowers and their meanings.

* * *

"You get Abby's invitation?" Gibbs poked his head in through the door of Jenny's office, holding two coffees out in front of him.

"Mmhmm." Jenny glanced up from her files, giving him a smile and turning her face up for a kiss as he set the coffee down on her desk. "Logan get what he needed?"

"I think so." He moved behind her chair, massaging her shoulders gently as he talked. "Are we _going_ to Abby's 'bash'?"

"Tom Morrow and his wife have invited us out for dinner, actually. I've got this new dress and…"

"New dress?" Gibbs grinned, his eyebrows rising to his hairline. "Care to model it for me instead and we can skip the dinner?"

Jenny laughed, blushing as she pushed at his shoulder. "Jethro…"

"What?" He gave her a mock innocent look, smirking.

"We're going. I already called and asked Maddie to babysit Logan and Max. I also called and had your suit dry cleaned, we're going to Palena."

"Rubber chicken dinners, Jen?"

She rolled her eyes, shoving him lightly. "If you behave yourself, I'll think about that private modeling show you asked for."

Jethro grinned, moving around to slump in the chair in front of her desk. "And if I don't behave?"

"Well, there's a security conference with the FBI next week, I figured you wouldn't mind going." She gave him a sharp look, one eyebrow arched imperiously.

He swallowed heavily, shifting in his seat. "Ah…I suppose we can go, then."

Jenny sat back with a bright smile, pleased. "I thought as much."

* * *

Friday morning, Logan Gibbs clutched the bag of Valentines in his hand, frowning nervously at the front door to his classroom. What if the guys didn't bring any cards and he was the only one? He didn't wanna look like a girly dork in front of Zach and Carson.

"Hey, Logan!" Danielle Craig, a girl in his class, stepped up next to him, smiling brightly.

"Oh…hey, Dani." Logan's cheeks flushed as he hid the bag of cards behind his back quickly, scuffing his shoe on the floor as he gave her a shy smile.

"Did you bring cards too? I brought Scooby Doo valentines!" She held up her bag with a grin. "And I brought Twizzlers!"

"Twizzlers?" He licked his lips, thinking of his own bag of the red licorice candy, safe in his backpack. "I—I brought Twizzlers too, they're my favorite."

"Really? They're my favorite, too!" Dani linked her arm through his, tugging him insistently towards the door. "Come on, silly, school's about to start!"

He followed her into the classroom, his Valentines still partially hidden behind his back. Zach and Carson waved from their desks, each sitting with a bag of cards. Logan made his way over, sliding into the seat next to Carson. "Heya, guys."

"Whadja bring, LJ?" Carson held up his own bag of sports car Valentines and Kit-Kats, grinning.

"Wolverine, duh!" Logan set his bag and Twizzlers on his desk, his father's trademark smirk flashing across his face. "And Twizzlers, 'cause they're the best."

Zach leaned over from his desk, butting into their conversation matter-of-factly. "Nuh uh, Jolly Ranchers are the best, Logan. AND, I brought Iron Man cards."

"So? Wolverine is better than any old Iron Man."

Carson shook his head, leaning back looking smug. "Well, my cars are better than your superheroes, so I win."

"Do not! Wolverine can slice all your cars up!"

"Well, Iron Man can blow both of ya up with his repulsors, so he'd win better than Wolverine!" Zach protested Logan's assessment vehemently.

"Would not."

"Yeah he would."

"Nope. Wolverine's the best."

"Ahem." All three boys looked up as their teacher cleared her throat, standing in front of their desks. "We all ready to get started, gentlemen?"

Logan, Zach, and Carson promptly sat back in their seats, grinning sheepishly. "Yes, Miss Olivia."

* * *

Gibbs and Jenny watched as Logan sprinted out of school a few hours later, his backpack swinging haphazardly from one arm.

"Mom! Dad! We traded Valentines 'an candy 'an Miss Olivia brought in cookies an' we watched Charlie Brown!" Logan threw the door open, tossing his bag onto the floor carelessly as he began recounting his day, almost in one breath.

"Hey, Logan! Wait up!" Danielle Craig hurried after him, catching his shoulder just before he made to get into the car.

Logan stopped, his cheeks flushing again as he turned around. "Hiya, Dani. What's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you for the card and the Twizzlers. You're right, they are the best."

"Oh. Uh…yeah, no problem."

"Well, anyways, I gotta go, my mom's here, but, um…Happy Valentine's Day." She leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek and a card with Twizzlers into his hand, before she ran off, clambering into the back of a minivan with one last wave.

Logan stood shellshocked, reaching up to brush one hand over the kiss on his cheek.

Jethro glanced over at Jenny with a smirk, twisting around in his seat to look at his son. "You comin', bub?"

"Oh, right…yeah." He moved slowly, climbing in and buckling his seatbelt, still staring at the card in his hand.

Jenny exchanged an amused look with her husband, glancing back at her son. "I see you had a good day then."

"Uh huh." Logan stared at the card in his hand, finally tucking it into his jeans pocket with a small smile.

* * *

Logan stood waiting at the foot of the stairs when his mom descended in her new red dress an hour later, his hands tucked behind his back. Maddie Tyler was already in the living room, keeping an eye on an extremely energetic and over-sugared Max fresh from his preschool Valentine's party, while Jethro had been banished to the kitchen after a few sneak attempts at viewing his wife before she was fully dressed.

"You look really pretty, Mom."

"Thank you, LJ, that's really sweet of you." Jenny smiled as she knelt to give him a light kiss on the cheek. "Why aren't you in watching the movie with Maddie and Max, honey? Your dad rented X-Men 2 special just for you."

"Oh, yeah, I know, I just…well, we made these in class, and I had Abby and Dad help me pick out the flower to go with it and um…well, Happy Valentine's Day." He drew a lightly wrapped package from behind his back, along with a bright red Chrysanthemum, ducking his head shyly.

Jenny took the package and the flower, her eyebrows rising. "This is for me, honey? Oh, that's sweet, thank you so much, baby!" She pulled the wrapping off gently, staring down at the hand-made picture frame.

"I um…I had Dad make a copy of that picture you had made of me 'n Max on my birthday, and I painted it green 'cause it's your favorite color."

"Well, I think it's great, and I'll make sure to put it on my desk at work so I've got a good picture to look at." She smiled, pulling him into a hug. "I really, really like it, Logan, thank you. It's very sweet."

He grinned bashfully and ducked away from another kiss, straightening his hair as he ran back into the living room, crashing on the couch next to Maddie.

"He did a good job. Searched for that flower all on his own, only asked Abs for help long enough to figure out how to type in the search bar." Jethro's quiet voice came over her shoulder, his warm hands settling at her waist. "If I'm remembering correctly, it means 'I love you'."

"Well, I think it's beautiful." Jenny touched the petals of the flower lightly, relaxing back into his embrace. "Let me get some water for this, and then we can go."


	7. All's Fair Acelinn

**Title: **All's Fair

**Author: **Acelinn

**Rating: **K+

On the morning of the fourteenth of February, Jennifer Shepard awoke feeling better than she had since she had been appointed the position of Director of NCIS. She was aware from the moment she looked at her desk calendar that it was Saint Valentine's Day. In the past, she had been – well, not _excited_, per se – but she had been pleased at the notion that she had a date that night to look forward to in amongst her usual demanding work schedule.

She acknowledged her reputation throughout the Agency as a workaholic – it was how she had been elevated to the position of Director at such a young age. She had had excellent tutelage, Jenny knew, wryly thinking of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the Supervisory Agent of the Major Crimes Response Unit. It was undoubtedly true – in the past year, since her elevation to the Directorship, her personal life had suffered significantly, but this was a sacrifice that she had made willingly.

Today, sitting at her large desk in her very large and pristine office, she saw the large '14' at the top right corner of the box on her calendar, the secondary heading, 'Saint Valentine's Day', and, to her disappointment, the lack of a name, time and place pencilled in below. She was able to realise rationally that her willingness to take on such an increased workload had damaged her social life; she met hundreds of men, being in such a male-dominated field of employment, a woman in a man's world. Sleazy politicians, cocky Senator's aides, overeager neurologists, and a myriad of other men of various degrees of high accomplishment and considerable wealth and fame were those who had recently made her acquaintance. Some were desirous of a further acquaintance, most notably the Senator whom she had recently had some degree of contact with – lunch every now and then, a few dinners, nothing beyond – and the neurologist, whom she had liked a great deal, who sent her orchids, called her constantly and hadn't taken no for an answer.

But neither of them had been anything exceptional. Neither of them were new nor exciting, only the latest in a countless string of uniformity.

Shaking away these thoughts, Jenny checked her day planner and her in-tray, noticing a lack of pressing paperwork, important phone calls, vital MTAC missions and interference from Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Suddenly, the door to her office flew open on its hinges, crashing into the wall with a bang that startled her. She glared at the figure in the doorway.

"And I was having such a peaceful morning, Gibbs," she commented, glaring at him.

He glared back. "Get Fornell to back off my case," he snarled.

Jenny rolled her eyes, feeling the beginning of a migraine at her temple. She pressed her fingers to her eyes, grimacing. "Gibbs, how is it that you have this extraordinary ability to give me a headache every time we meet?"

"Talent," he said mockingly. "Got a case this morning. Marine Major shot in the back, close range, .22 calibre, found in an hotel room, TOD according to Ducky is between 3 and 5am yesterday morning. Got a call from the FBI an hour ago about another body dropping, TOD early this morning, but in Maryland – apparently this woman was his wife. Looks like the ballistics are a match, but we'll have to wait for Abby to know for sure. But it seems that this case crosses state lines, so the FBI is claiming jurisdiction."

Jenny nodded. "Seems sound to me. The woman was not attached to the Navy or Marine Corps, as far as I am aware."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "She was. She was his wife – a dependant. She was living on base; her death should be investigated concurrently to that of her husband's by the same law enforcement agency."

Jenny paused, looking at his angry face and those cool blue eyes that she would forever be familiar with – as familiar as her own green eyes. She nodded, reaching for the phone. "Jethro, you owe me one."

She watched as his glare shifted into a rare smile. "Jen – Happy Valentine's Day," he said jokingly, presenting her with a deep red carnation from behind his back. "All the orchids were sold out, and I figured roses were too cliché for the argumentative, rebellious Jennifer Shepard," he said in response to her unasked question as he left her office.

She dialled, staring at the carnation sitting on her desk.

**

* * *

**

Hours later, when her stomach began informing her of its being lunchtime, Jenny sat up, grabbed her bag and jacket and important paperwork that could not be set aside, even for food, and made her way past Cynthia and down the stairs into the bullpen, catching Jethro's eye as he stood in front of the plasma screen with McGee. She approached his desk, dumping her bag and jacket and taking a seat, causing Tony to look up in admiration and Ziva in disguised amusement.

"Director. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Gibbs queried, walking over to stand in front of his desk, staring at her.

"I'm on my way to lunch. Can you give me an update on this case?" Jenny returned. "Fornell was quite happy to turn this case over to NCIS, by the way. Something about a career day at Emily's school."

Gibbs smiled briefly, thinking of the child. "DiNozzo – update her."

Tony stood up. "Well, we've got a dead Major Joseph Kirk, shot in the back. He was stationed at Parris Island temporarily to assist with the influx of new recruits. Liked and respected by the personnel, loathed by the vast majority of privates."

Ziva then stood up, cutting in. "His wife, Hilary Kirk, was a school teacher. Disliked by her colleagues, taught year one students and had a history of altercations with parents. The Kirks also had a reputation on base for being – unhappy – in their marriage. Fights at all hours, that kind of thing. Just last week Major Kirk checked into the base hospital to have a cut on his hand stitched up where she had thrown a glass at him."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like we'd be after her with the handcuffs if she hadn't turned up murdered herself."

"Well, one former Private Sunny Lawson seems to have been particularly antagonistic to Major Kirk," Ziva commented. "She washed out a week ago after a series of confrontations, culminating in death threats."

"Yeah, but she's got an alibi," Tony said. "She was at church with her family. That's pretty hard to refute."

"You see our dilemma. DiNozzo, where are those phone records?" Gibbs snapped, gesturing that Jenny leave his seat.

She shook her head. "You need to eat too, get some coffee, enjoy the sunshine. I'll buy."

"It's raining, Director. Can I have my desk back, now?" Gibbs responded.

"No," Jenny replied.

"Boss, looks like Major Kirk was calling and receiving calls regularly from the same number for about two months," Tony called from his desk, waving a piece of paper around, presumably the deceased's phone records.

"Affair?" Ziva questioned, sitting up.

"Find out who the phone is registered to. Pick 'em up," Gibbs nodded, walking around behind Jenny and pushing his chair out from behind the desk, gesturing that she get up and leave. As she made no move to get up, Gibbs rolled his eyes and walked in front of her, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her upright, eliciting a gasp from the woman in question and a smothered laugh from DiNozzo and Ziva as they dawdled, unwilling to miss this confrontation.

"Gibbs, move. We're getting lunch," Jenny ordered, thrusting his coat at him and pointing at the elevator. "And don't you do that again."

"Boss, phone's registered to a Laurette Zambini," Tony interrupted.

"You and Ziva go pick her up. McGee, go through phone records of the wife and financials of both, call me if you get anything," Gibbs said as Jenny pushed him towards the elevator.

Gibbs rolled his eyes, muttering about controlling redheads as they slipped into the elevator with Tony and Ziva, both of whom were standing awkwardly in front of their superiors, unwilling to continue their conversation.

"Where are we going, Jen?" Gibbs queried. "No rubber chicken dinners."

"No rubber chicken dinners," Jenny said, rolling her eyes. "I don't care as long as there's coffee."

"Gibbs, we'll call you when we have Zambini in interrogation," Ziva interrupted as they left the elevator.

Gibbs shook his head. "Ziva, you interrogate Zambini, call me with an update."

And they went their separate ways.

**

* * *

"So why the insistence that we have lunch together, Jen?" Jethro inquired as they sat in a cafe together.**

"I'm that desperate for a date for Valentine's Day," Jenny deadpanned with a glare. She smiled briefly. "I wanted food and I thought you might like to discuss the case."

Jethro nodded. "I would. I can't help but think that we're missing something."

"I think so too," Jenny nodded. "Look at it this way, the three common motives for murder are greed, love and to cover up a crime."

"And we have murdered spouses – so instead of looking at their professional lives, we should be looking at their private lives," Jethro finished.

Jenny nodded, smiling. "You told me there are no coincidences in murder investigations."

Jethro smiled, taking her hand. "Best protégé I ever had," he said jokingly.

Jenny slapped him, just as Tony and Ziva entered the cafe and walked up to them. "Gibbs, Director, are we interrupting?" Ziva questioned as Tony looked like he was about to burst.

"Not at all," Jenny said.

"You're holding hands!" Tony exploded.

Gibbs withdrew his hand, stood up and slapped Tony on the back of the head. "DiNozzo, is there a reason why you didn't call?"

"We left Laurette Zambini in interrogation – I haven't had the chance to properly interrogate her yet. But she's not the woman Kirk was having an affair with," Tony said with a grin.

"But he was having an affair?" Jenny questioned pointedly, picking up her water and taking a sip.

"Oh yes," Ziva said with a malicious smile. "Laurette Zambini is a divorce lawyer. Kirk was planning to divorce his wife for another woman."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "Go back over phone records, financials. _Find the woman_."

"No need boss!" Tony grinned. "Probie thought, after he interviewed former Private Lawson, the one that hated Kirk, that she knew more than she let on. Turns out he was right."

Ziva continued. "Private Lawson had stumbled across the knowledge that Major Kirk was dallying around with another recruit – a Private Samantha McLachlan."

"She thinks they may have had a brief affair. Lawson was in love with Kirk, that's why she hated him, after she caught him with another woman," Tony concluded. "We got McGee to trace her cell phone."

"And?" Gibbs demanded. "Why haven't you picked McLachlan up?"

"That's why we're here," Ziva nodded. "Meet another wash out of Parris Island, Samantha McLachlan." She pointed across the room at a short woman with bleach blonde hair and numerous tattoos wearing too much makeup and too little clothing.

Ten minutes later, Samantha McLachlan was sitting in interrogation, still smarting over her less than graceful entrance into NCIS at the hands of Officer Ziva David. Gibbs was walking slowly back and forth behind her, clicking his pen ominously. McLachlan was becoming more and more agitated.

In the observation room, Tony, Ziva and McGee were discussing how long it would take for McLachlan to break under the powers of Gibbs. Jenny snorted at their argument.

"I wouldn't underestimate the stubbornness of this woman," she commented. "Look at her – she's as hard as nails. But –" she continued, seeing their doubtful expressions, "– she's angry, she's emotional, and Gibbs knows it."

They tuned back in to the interrogation taking place.

"How close were you two?" Gibbs was questioning.

"Not very," McLachlan said offhandedly. "He was a superior officer, I was a lowly Private. Sure, he was attractive, but, I mean, I knew he was off limits."

"Did you? You know, we have a witness who claims to have the knowledge that you were involved," Gibbs pressed.

"Who?" McLachlan demanded, her eyes narrowing. "Was it one of the others?"

"Sunny Lawson, she says she caught the two of you with your hands on each other in the head one afternoon, but the Major blackmailed her into keeping her mouth shut," Gibbs revealed.

"BITCH!" she screamed, her eyes wild. "You know – she was jealous – _they were all jealous_!"

"Because you had Kirk?" Gibbs questioned.

"He loved me," she declared. "We were together, he was telling me that he loved me, and not once did he mention his loony _wife _back at home!"

"He failed to mention that he was married?"

"That's right! He was just using me, just like a _male_. And all that time, he was with someone else." Samantha bit her lip, barely containing her rage. "But he loved ME. He was going to dump his wife – for me. We were going to have a life together. But now he's dead." And she burst into tears.

"Did he tell you he was going to leave his wife?" Gibbs questioned.

McLachlan sobbed. "No – no, he never said. But I could tell – _he loved me_!"

Gibbs waited until her heaving gasps had lessened into quiet sniffles. "Ms. McLachlan, where were you at about 4am this morning and yesterday morning around the same time?"

McLachlan looked up incredulously. "You're asking for _my _alibi? Mine! I loved him! I would never kill him!"

Gibbs stared at her grimly. "Alibi. Now."

"I was asleep! Isn't that what people do at 4am?" McLachlan exclaimed.

"Anyone that can verify?" Gibbs said.

"No!" Her gaze became irate. "Are you implying that I was sleeping with someone else? I was waiting faithfully for Joe, like I promised!"

Gibbs left, slamming the door behind him. He sighed as he entered the observation room. "Check her alibi, neighbours, but I don't expect there will be much information."

McGee checked his information. "She's based in DC in an apartment. I'll go check with the neighbours."

Gibbs nodded. "Escort her out while you do," he said, jerking his thumb at McLachlan.

"Gibbs, she's exactly the type to commit murder for love," Jenny pointed out. "Look at her, she looked almost insane."

Indeed, Samantha McLachlan was muttering incomprehensibly, eyes wild, shifting in starts and stops.

"She could be simply devastated at the loss of her lover," Ziva argued.

Gibbs ignored her. "Where's Laurette Zambini, the lawyer?"

"Interrogation Two, why?" Tony answered.

Gibbs and Jenny left, entering interrogation room two soon after, slamming the door behind them.

"Can someone _please_ tell me _why _I'm still locked in this hellhole?" Laurette Zambini was furious. Her stylishly curled brown hair fell in unusually unkempt and messed waves and her arms were crossed as she glared at Gibbs and Jenny.

"I apologise for this treatment, Ms. Zambini, but you are a person of interest in a murder investigation," Jenny informed her.

She nodded. "Joe Kirk. He was a client of mine. He was divorcing his wife, Hilary, who by all accounts, was a right awful woman and deserved whatever he threw at her – both literally and figuratively."

"Do you know why he was divorcing his wife?" Jenny asked, perching on the desk and raising an eyebrow.

She hesitated.

Jenny spoke up. "Both individuals in question are dead. I believe you are released from attorney-client privilege."

Laurette Zambini pursed her lips. "I was led to believe that there was another woman. I think she was a Marine, like Joe was."

Gibbs and Jenny exchanged significant glances. "Samantha McLachlan," Jenny said with a nod as they moved towards the door.

"Is she a Staff Sergeant?" Laurette called after a moment's hesitation.

Gibbs paused, halfway out the door. He grasped Jenny's wrist, halting her progress. "No. She is a former Private."

Laurette smiled mockingly. "Then you have the wrong girl. The woman Joe Kirk was in love with was a Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps."

Gibbs and Jenny exchanged a look, before leaving the room.

"David! Run down each and every Staff Sergeant on Parris Island!" Gibbs snapped. "DiNozzo, go with her."

As they left, Gibbs and Jenny went back to the bullpen. Jenny continued towards the stairs. Gibbs sat back in his chair, watching her progress up the stairs. He found himself staring at the movement of her skirt as it stretched across her long legs and the way her lightly curled hair brushed her shoulders and fell down her back.

Jenny felt his eyes on her as she walked up the stairs. As she reached the landing, she turned, smiling coyly. Gibbs appeared lost in thought. She watched as his eyes abruptly snapped to her eyes and he got up, following her to the landing.

"A husband and wife turn up dead within twenty-four hours of each other. One in Virginia, one in Maryland. By all accounts, the marriage was an unhappy one," Gibbs said. "We concluded that, despite various disturbances in their respective workplaces, because the couple ended up dead soon after each other, the motive and killer is likely to be in some way related to their being a couple."

Jenny nodded. "Sounds like a good bet."

"Kirk was having an affair with Private McLachlan _and _with an unknown Staff Sergeant; he was seeing a lawyer to get a divorce from his wife so that he could marry with Staff Sergeant, according to the lawyer, but the Private appears to think that he was going to leave his wife for her," Gibbs continued.

"One of them must be wrong," Jenny nodded.

"And we need to find this mysterious Staff Sergeant," Gibbs finished. He smiled and touched her hand where it rested on the banister. "Thanks, Jen."

**

* * *

"Boss, meet Staff Sergeant Helen O'Neill," Tony said as Gibbs entered the observation room. He was pointing at the sole occupant of Interrogation Room One, a tall, stern looking woman in Marine greens. Her brown hair was tightly drawn back into a bun and she looked shaken and nervous as she sat alone in the room, cameras pointed at her and unknown accusers staring at her from behind the mirror.**

Gibbs nodded, snatching up the file and moving into the interrogation room. "Staff Sergeant O'Neill, I'm Special Agent Gibbs. I believe you are acquainted with a Major Joseph Kirk."

Staff Sergeant O'Neill nodded. "We were stationed together briefly on Parris Island. I train a platoon of new recruits and he was there briefly to oversee operations while our CO was on liberty."

Tony, Ziva and McGee turned at the sound of the door to the observation room being opened and closed. Director Shepard walked over to stand beside them. "Have I missed it?"

"No, he's just getting to the good bit," Tony said cheekily.

"Tell me, Staff Sergeant, how long had you and Major Kirk been having an affair?" Gibbs was saying.

They watched as O'Neill looked up suddenly, before she looked back down and bit her lip. "I – we've known each other for years," she said quietly. "We met by chance in DC once, when he was at a conference and I was visiting my parents on liberty. We spent every day together – we've been seeing each other ever since." She looked up. "I know it's wrong – he has a wife, but he told me he was seeing a divorce lawyer..." She inhaled and exhaled sharply. "He was going to resign his commission, so that we could marry." Staff Sergeant O'Neill stared at him and wiped her eyes. "But now he's gone."

Gibbs waited a moment. "Staff Sergeant, were you aware that Major Kirk was in a simultaneous relationship with a Private in your platoon on Parris Island, Samantha McLachlan?"

They watched as O'Neill looked up, her expression obviously stunned. "McLachlan?" she asked. "Samantha McLachlan wasn't in a relationship with Joe."

"Her testimony is to the contrary," Gibbs said. "As is that of another former Private, Sunny Lawson, who witnessed them in an intimate moment."

O'Neill shook her head. "No – no. I know what she thought she saw, but Joe told me what happened. McLachlan, she was – obsessed – she wasn't in her right mind." Staff Sergeant O'Neill sighed. "She sexually harassed Joe. She groped him in the head – she was scrubbing it as punishment, Joe was checking on her progress – that's what Lawson saw. He told me about it, he was going to make a formal complaint, but she washed out, so we didn't think it was necessary." She put her head in her hands. "You mean, she killed Joe?" Her eyes filled with tears.

Gibbs stared at her imperturbably. "Staff Sergeant, where were you this morning and the previous morning between 3 and 5am?"

She looked up suddenly. "I was on liberty in DC, I had come back to see Joe. We spent one night together, and then I left to stay with my folks for a couple of days. I was going to stay with him again before I left for Parris Island." Her eyes filled with tears. "The night Joe was killed, I was out for dinner with my parents, and then I came home and went to bed. The next night I was catching up with some school friends, but again, by 3am I was home!"

Gibbs nodded, getting up and leaving the room. He entered the observation room, noticing that Ziva had left already.

"She's checking the alibi, boss," Tony told him. "McGee called, said that most of McLachlan's neighbours don't remember anything, but her next door neighbour thinks she heard a door slam early in the morning – she's a nurse, she was getting ready for her shift when she heard it."

Gibbs shook his head. "People suddenly remember things as soon as someone tells them there might be something to remember," he said, rolling his eyes. "And even if it is true, it's circumstantial – a jury'll never buy that. What did Abby find?"

Tony grinned. "Glad you asked, boss! She ran ballistics, the bullets are the same make and appear to have been shot from the same gun, but we'd need the actual weapon to be sure. McLachlan has no gun registered; O'Neill has several – one is a .22 that could be a match. Major Kirk also has a .22 registered, I called McGee, he's checking Kirk's hotel room here in DC and O'Neill's apartment, and we're in contact with the on-base personnel in Maryland where Major and Mrs. Kirk lived permanently and Staff Sergeant O'Neill's CO in Parris Island."

Gibbs nodded, turning to Jenny. "And why are you here?"

Jenny smiled. "Interest. I have no pressing paperwork, you haven't pissed off any government agencies lately, I have no personal life to speak of and it seems that my teams are, for once, capable of solving crimes and carrying out their missions without my overseeing their every step."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you just wanted to spend time together," he joked, slapping Tony on the head as he left the room. "Don't say anything you might not live to regret, DiNozzo."

**

* * *

Hours later, Gibbs' team had reassembled at their desks in the bullpen.**

"Update, now," Gibbs ordered.

"Gibbs, why haven't you been to see me?" Abby arrived in the bullpen, dressed in black clothing, chains and her favourite dog collar, clutching a Caf-Pow! "I had to get this myself," she said, waving the drink.

"Preoccupied, Abs," Gibbs said. "I'll make it up to you. What've you got for me?"

"Well, I took DNA from your Staff Sergeant – no match to that found on Major or Mrs. Kirk. I have determined, however, that the foreign DNA on both victims was from the same person, who is likely to be our killer," Abby explained.

"Ziva called Mr and Mrs O'Neill of Virginia. They can account for their daughter's presence at dinner, as can the staff of the restaurant. They assert that she came home and stayed home, but neither can be sure – they were both asleep. She was there when they woke up, though. Same story for the next murder; friends say she was there, as does the coffee shop staff and security footage of the mall they were in, but that night, nobody knows," Tony said. "She hasn't got a solid alibi."

McGee sat up. "No gun found at the Kirk's in Maryland, and according to Staff Sergeant O'Neill, she keeps a .22 in her apartment, but we didn't find it – it's not where she said it would be, or anywhere else in the apartment. We must have searched a hundred times. Kirk had a .22 registered, and seeing as it's not at his home in Maryland, we assumed it must have been in his hotel room or on his person when he was killed. It wasn't amongst his effects, but we found it in his luggage."

Abby cut in. "I ran ballistics. It hasn't been fired recently. It's not the murder weapon."

Ziva then continued. "_But_, we searched the trash and the bins around O'Neill's apartment and found a .22 calibre handgun in a dumpster a block away – checked the registration, it's a match to her gun."

"I'm running ballistics now, but it looks like a match," Abby said.

"So we have two suspects, both with vague alibis, one with access to a gun, likely the murder weapon," Gibbs summarised.

"Gibbs, there's one other thing. I found this hidden in his luggage," Ziva said. She held up a small dark blue velvet box. Gibbs took it and opened it, staring at the beautiful diamond ring nestled inside. "He was going to propose," Ziva concluded slowly.

At that moment, Jenny stepped up to Gibbs as he turned around, laughing slightly as she took in the diamond ring.

"Well, Jethro, I know you're fond of proposals, but we really shouldn't be getting married," Jenny laughed, plucking the ring from his hand and admiring it. "He was going to give it to...?"

"Staff Sergeant O'Neill," Ziva finished. "He was leaving his wife for her. He was going to marry her."

"Then why would she kill him?" Tony asked. "Think about it. She had everything she wanted. She had nothing to lose. Kirk was divorcing his wife."

"Maybe he changed his mind," McGee suggested.

"No – Laurette Zambini said nothing about that," Ziva said. "You're right, Tony. It doesn't make sense."

"Then who killed him?" Jenny asked.

"It had to have been McLachlan – that's the only answer that fits," Gibbs said. "She's the only one in this love triangle that's set to lose everything."

"But then why did she kill Major Kirk, the man that she loves?" Ziva questioned. "I understand her killing the wife – a perceived threat – but then shouldn't her other victim be Staff Sergeant O'Neill – her most direct competition, the woman that Kirk loved?"

Gibbs held up his hands. "It was McLachlan. She's living in DC, thinks Kirk is going to leave his wife for her. One night, she corners him, he tells her once and for all, that they aren't together and that they never will be. He probably tells her that he is in a relationship with Staff Sergeant O'Neill, that he's leaving his wife for O'Neill, not for McLachlan."

"That makes her angry," Tony added. "She thinks about what to do. Maybe she plans to find O'Neill, goes to her apartment to confront her and tell her to back off. But O'Neill has already left to spend time with her parents. But she's a resourceful girl, she steals O'Neill's gun – you never know, it might be useful."

"The more she thinks about it, the angrier she gets," Ziva said. "So she thinks up a new plan. Murder. And if she uses O'Neill's gun, maybe she can get away with it and damage the woman that Kirk really loves at the same time."

"Two birds with one stone," Jenny said, nodding.

"So one night, she kills Major Kirk with O'Neill's gun. If she can't have him, no one can, not the least of which Staff Sergeant O'Neill, the woman who made Samantha McLachlan's life hell as a Private on Parris Island," Gibbs said.

"Then, that night, she drives out to Maryland – slamming the door behind her, which is unfortunately heard by her neighbour the nurse – and kills Kirk's soon-to-be-ex-wife, Hilary, with the same gun, then tosses it near O'Neill's home, hoping that we'd think that O'Neill killed her lover and his wife in a domestic dispute – thinking maybe that he changed his mind and was going to stay with his wife, causing her to fly into a jealous rage," McGee finished.

"But how do we prove it?" Jenny said. "No matter how likely this theory is, it's still conjecture. We need concrete proof."

Abby interrupted. "Get me DNA, and I'll get you proof," she said to Gibbs. "Also, I'll recheck the gun and the crime scene for evidence of foreign DNA or fingerprints, but you'll have to get me her DNA and fingerprints to compare with."

McGee sat up suddenly. "Boss – got an idea!"

Gibbs walked over and leaned forward, bracing himself on McGee's chair and desk to look at the computer screen. McGee pulled up Samantha McLachlan's financial records and began typing erratically. One line became highlighted.

"Found it! Boss, this is a charge made on McLachlan's credit card the night of Mrs Kirk's murder. She paid for petrol at a gas station on the highway. She was on her way to Maryland."

Gibbs smirked victoriously.

**

* * *

A few hours later, Gibbs and his team reappeared in the bullpen, seeing Director Shepard sitting casually at McGee's desk, two cups of coffee on the desk before her.**

"Get lost on your way to your office, Direc-_tor_?" Gibbs questioned, picking up one cup with a nod of thanks.

"Just thought I'd sit at my old desk for awhile," she said.

"You sat at Probie's desk?" Tony asked with a grin.

"Once upon a time," Jenny laughed. "Back before the natural order was reversed and I somehow wound up as my former boss' boss." She turned to Gibbs. "How did the case work out?"

"Got a confession and Abby's tests came back conclusively pointing to McLachlan. She's going away for double homicide," Gibbs said.

Jenny smiled. "Good work, take the night off." She turned to Gibbs. "Get your coat, I'll walk you to your car, I'm leaving early tonight too."

"Actually, we were thinking we'd go out to celebrate Valentine's Day." Abby's voice cut into their conversation. They all turned to see her and Ducky in their coats.

McGee and Ziva nodded. Tony thought for a minute, before nodding.

"What, Tony? No date?" Ziva laughed.

"Husband had a small problem with it," Tony said with a grimace. "I'm celebrating this fine day single, like the rest of you."

Abby turned to Gibbs and Jenny. "What about you two? Will you celebrate with us?"

Gibbs started shaking his head. "No, Abs. Have a good time."

Jenny turned to Abby and the others. "You know he never celebrates."

"Excuse me?"

They all turned at the sound of a foreign voice, recognising the speaker as Staff Sergeant Helen O'Neill. She was dressed casually in civilian clothes.

"I'm on personal leave," she said. "I wanted to know if you'd caught the killer yet."

As Gibbs explained the outcome of the case, he remembered something that had yet to be returned to the evidence locker. After explaining why McLachlan had killed the Kirks, he reached into his desk drawer and retrieved the blue velvet box, holding it out to the _real _widow of Joseph Kirk.

"This would have rightfully been yours," he said. "I'm sorry for your loss, Helen."

As Helen O'Neill's face crumpled into tears, Gibbs felt Jenny's hand press into his back. He turned to meet her eyes. The warmth and affection there nearly overwhelmed him. He hadn't seen that look in her eye since Paris.

"Thank you for everything you've done," O'Neill said, looking at all of them. "I guess – it just proves that life is too short. Joe and I had been seeing each other for years, but we never did anything about the situation. We were stupid; we thought it would resolve itself, that we had all the time in the world."

Gibbs turned to look at Jenny, seeing her green gaze fixed on his face. _Yes, _she thought. _Life is far too short for mistakes and inaction_.

**

* * *

"Wallowing in self-pity?" A voice came down the stairs into the basement, startling Jethro from his work sanding the boat. He recognised that voice.**

"Jen. Get lost on your way home?"

"Funny, Jethro." She started walking down the stairs. About halfway down, she let out a stifled scream as she tripped over a box placed on a step and pitched forward, tumbling down the stairs to land in a heap at the bottom.

Jethro quickly ran over to her, picking her up, placing a hand on her cheek as she held her side. She leant down and took off her ridiculously high heels, limping over to a seat at the workbench, Jethro's arm around her waist for support. He picked up a mason jar, emptying the contents and pouring a generous amount of bourbon into it, handing it to her.

She took a gulp, sighing as the she felt the liquid burn her throat. "Have you named this one?" she asked, gesturing vaguely at the boat.

Gibbs paused, mid-sanding motion. "Kelly," he muttered.

Jenny nodded, her mind immediately flashing to the wife and daughter that Jethro had lost, what seemed like a lifetime ago.

They sat in silence.

"Why are you here, Jen?" Jethro's voice broke the silence. She looked up from staring into her jar, seeing his icy blue stare fixed on her face. "Searching for a Valentine's Day date?"

"No – no!" Jenny said vehemently. "That's not why I'm here. I'm here because I want to be here. I want to celebrate Saint Valentine's Day with you; I want to spend time with you."

Gibbs smiled, walking up to her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "All you have to do is ask," he said, before he drew closer to her face. He pulled her upright, placing one hand on her waist, the other at her neck, inching up to thread into her red hair. His breath displaced the short hairs at her temple; her eyes slid shut as he drew closer. His lips ghosted over her face as her hands slid around his waist, gripping him tightly.

She sighed finally as his lips landed on hers, one hand moving up his back, travelling over muscle to twine into the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Well, well, well, looks like the party started without us." The loud, obnoxious voice of Anthony DiNozzo cut through the haze that enveloped them, causing them to break apart and turn to glare at the intruders who stood, visibly shocked, on the basement stairs.

"Jethro, I thought you'd never make a move," Ducky said jokingly as he walked down the remaining steps to join them, shaking Jethro's hand.

Jethro glared, keeping his arm wrapped around Jenny's waist as Abby, Tony, Ziva and McGee followed Ducky's steps down into the basement, still taking in the sight before them.

"Who would have thought that it would take a love rectangle, a tale of star-crossed but doomed lovers, and a case involving revenge, passion, hatred and lust to get you to admit that you want each other," Ducky commented. "That you _love _each other."

The others smiled as Gibbs twisted his fingers into Jenny's hair.

"Happy Valentine's Day?" Tony asked with a laugh.

Jenny held up her bourbon with a coy smile. "Happy Valentine's Day."

**END.**


	8. Daisy Chains MissJayne

**Title: **Daisy Chains

**Author: **MissJayne

**Rating: **K+

Jennifer Shepard smiled to herself as she stepped into Rock Creek Park. The day was cold – Valentine's Day was never warm – but the sun was shining high in the sky, warming the exposed skin it touched and cheering her up.

Not that she needed much cheering up. Her lover, one Leroy Jethro Gibbs, had decided to take her for a walk and she was powerless to resist. She felt as though she had been cooped up in her office for months, and a gentle stroll somewhere as beautiful as this was doing wonders for her.

She was wrapped in a black coat, her favorite boots on her feet, a hat on her head and her hands protected by gloves. Gibbs had insisted on the scarf and persuaded her security detail that they didn't need to follow _too _closely – there were advantages to dating an ex-marine. He held her hand as they walked, pausing now and then for her to admire a flower.

She knew she was lucky to have him back in her life again after the whole Paris debacle. He had forgiven her and she loved him for it. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows; they were both too independent, stubborn and jaded for that. But they allowed each other space and attempted to compromise when necessary. They kept their separate houses, each filled with memories they were reluctant to let go of, and neither tried to force the issue. They kept the change in their relationship quiet to avoid DiNozzo's prying and Abby's squeals of joy.

A child ran past them, laughing at the top of his voice. She paused, watching as he ran to his mother. Could she ever be a mother some day? She had put it off for years, coming up with all kinds of excuses but eventually realizing it was because she already knew who she wanted to be the father of her children and she had left him. Children was always a touchy subject with Jethro, but as she glanced over to him, she saw him looking at the child with the same longing expression as she had. She squeezed his hand and smiled. Perhaps in the near future they could try for a child of their own.

With her hand still in his, they continued onwards. After a few minutes, he spotted a patch of daises and indicated she should sit down on the grass. It was chilly but not damp, and she sat and watched as he picked daisies one by one. His practiced hands constructed a daisy chain for her; it made her giggle. No one had made one of those since she had been seven. But it was cute and made with love, so she happily accepted it.

He guided her to her feet and they set off again at a leisurely pace. She felt at peace, enjoying the sights and smells of the great outdoors, and enjoying the company as well. His hand squeezed hers and she squeezed back, unable to find a thing to worry about.


End file.
